On December 1, 2017 the Telestial.com brand was transferred to OneSimCard.com.
OneSimCard.com is not in possession of any customer information provided to Telestial prior to December 1, 2017, nor is OneSimCard providing any services on the Telestial SIM cards purchased prior to this date.
Read more

This November sees the release of a new version of Murder On The Orient Express, the second big-screen adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel featuring the legendary detective, Hercule Poirot. Read More

May 8, 2017

INTRODUCING OUR NEW AND IMPROVED USA SIM

Telestial are proud to announce the (re)launch of our USA SIM service. We've taken on board your comments and feedback and have made a few changes to ensure that we offer the best service possible for all our customers. Some of the new features of our USA SIM include:

Improved coverageWe've made some changes to ensure that no matter where you are in the USA - metropolitan areas or out in the big country -you'll get the strongest signal available, for both calls and data.

Works everywherePrevious iterations of our USA SIM have only worked in the US. But now you can use your SIM while in transit, giving you the option to share your US phone number with family and friends before you travel.

Auto-activation Again, previous versions of our SIM required you to manually configure your SIM once you arrived on US soil. Now, activation is automatic, giving you one less thing to worry about when you arrive in your destination.

Despite these changes, we haven't had to cut back on our deals - we still offer the same great bundles as we always have, with a range of unlimited talk and text deals, and up to 2GB of data. So if you're headed to the USA this summer, don't forget to pick up your Telestial USA SIM card today!

April 25, 2017

THE BIG NAMES MAKING BIG MOVES

There have been some huge changes to the world over the last 10 years, and this is made very clear when you look at the list of the top 5 largest companies in the world. Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Bank Of America and Citigroup are all gone, replaced by Alphabet (Google's parent company), Amazon, Facebook and Apple. Only Microsoft remains (and in the same third place as it was back then). Clearly, smartphones and what they are used for have become all-encompassing in their importance, so with this in mind, what are the biggest players planning for 2017?

Facebook
When you're a tech company in the top five biggest companies in the world, you don't need to turn up to other people's tech showcases, you simply host your own. The WWDC (Worldwide Developer's Conference) is Apple's version, while Google have I/O. Facebook have just held their annual conference, named F8 was held in San Jose this month, and they revealed some of their ideas for the future. Mark Zuckerberg is renowned for having an ambitious vision of the future, and this year's announcements were no exception - they're working on creating a way for computers to read your mind. This is something that Zuckerberg has been thinking about for at least two years, but the difference between a man worth $60 billion and the rest of us, is that he has the resources to turn daydreams into reality.
As well as dreaming big, Facebook will be making a few tweaks and changes to their existing properties, which include the most popular apps in the world (for example, the number of people using Facebook Messenger is now an astonishing 1.2 billion). They'll be looking closely at both Virtual and Augmented Reality (and as you'll see below, they aren't the only ones), updating the Messenger app (because 1.2 billion users isn't enough) and working to combat 'fake news'.

Apple
Traditionally, Apple likes to wait until September before making any big announcements. Given that 2017 is the 10th anniversary of the release of the first iPhone, people are expecting something special this year, and there's already plenty of speculation about what that will be. But Apple have a bit of an image problem at the moment. After 10 years at the top, the sheen is starting to wear off a bit, and Apple are having to engage in a bit of damage limitation. What, for example, are they planning on doing with the $245 billion profit pool that they've got stashed offshore (it's unlikely to be anything on this list)? It was recently announced that in the future, Apple's phones would be made from 100% recycled materials. While this might be down to a new-found sense of responsibility, the more likely explanation is that it deflects criticism away from the fact that they don't allow people to repair the Apple products that they own.

Despite their issues, Apple remain technological visionaries, and, just like everyone else, considers Augmented Reality to be vital to their future plans. Having already reaped $3 billion from the success of Pokemon Go! apps on iPhones, Apple sees this as a better bet than Virtual Reality, as the former enhances the real world, while the latter locks you away from it. They have some interesting plans, and the option to combine this with another piece of futuristic tech that is becoming a reality - self-driving cars. The idea of Apple's design team let loose on the humble automobile would be something to get very excited about indeed, but we still need to ask ourselves how much Apple would charge for such a thing, and whether you'd be able to fix your car if it broke down.

Google

Apple aren't the only big company flirting with the self-driving car concept. Google are also on the case, and are already offering free rides in their driverless cars in Phoenix, Arizona. This is a little bit behind their co-founder Larry Page's extraordinary new toy, which looks like something taken straight out of the pages of a Batman comic. Meanwhile, Google continue to put their AI DeepMind through its paces, setting it up against one of the world's best Go players. DeepDream, an experiment to figure out what an AI network 'sees' when it looks at an image, continues to push the boundaries of both science and modern art. Even Bob Ross's Joy of Painting is not immune to its surreal influence.

In the smartphone market, Google seem to be faltering a little. While there are plans to follow up their very successful Pixel phones with newer models, there are still issues getting hold of the original. For a company the size of Google, this is a rare misstep. However, they have also recently announced two new initiatives that should make a sizeable difference. Firstly, they're reportedly putting an ad-blocking feature into their Chrome browser. Some may believe this is a bit of a strange move from the world's foremost advertising platform, but it's to protect users from other types of advertising - pop-ups, self-playing videos and the kind that hides malware. There's not much news on that yet, but speaking of news - they have also just announced an offensive against 'fake news'. How they're going to achieve this is yet to be seen, but in common with their peers, Apple and Facebook, no one could accuse them of thinking small.

April 11, 2017

GETTING THE BANNED BACK TOGETHER

It was announced last week that both the USA and UK governments have issued a ban on certain electronic devices being carried on flights in or out of their respective countries. The devices in question are any electronic items with a battery or plug, and that are more than 16cm in length. While this generally covers laptops, e-readers, tablets, portable DVD or games systems and some smartphones (the latest iPhone sneaks in by being just short of the requirements at 15.8cm long, but some other models of 'phablet', such as the HTC Ultra, are too long). While many believe that these measures are ineffective, others, particularly the airlines affected, at least have a sense of humor about things. But this is merely the latest ban on electronic devices, and while this one has very real ramifications and serious reasons for doing it, it's not the only ban out there at the moment.

From the serious, to the deliberately light-hearted - comedian Chris Rock has announced a tour entitled "Total Blackout". Part of the title has a very real application, as mobile devices will be banned from the audience. To do this, he'll be making use of a company called Yondr, who provide self-sealing pouches to venues to stop audience members recording the whole show on their smartphones. It's been an issue for Rock for a long time - in an interview conducted in 2014, Rock expressed concern that footage of him practicing jokes for a stand-up routine were being put into the public sphere before they were ready, and therefore ruining the act that would later be put together. He's following the lead of his fellow comedians, Dave Chappelle and Louis CK (although the latter's issues appear to run a bit deeper).

Sticking with showbiz news, another ban on using cellphones has been announced - but this is not for the audience, or even the stars. This is for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the accountancy firm. PwC, as you'll recall, recently took responsibility for the biggest error in Oscar history - when the wrong winner of the Best Picture award was announced. It later transpired that one of the accountants responsible for holding onto the envelopes that contain the winners had been Tweeting photos of the stars just moments before the mistake was made. Whether this was the reason for the mix-up or not, it's evident that the person in question was not concentrating on the task in hand, and next year, cellphones will not be permitted.

You might have thought that professional sports might be one of the few areas that doesn't really need to worry about smartphones on match day. But over in Australia, the National Rugby League is banning phones from dressing rooms. There is a partial concern that social media is distracting some players before a match, but the bigger issue is one of illegal betting. Because the NRL only (currently) releases the team list one hour before a match, the governing body of the league also wants to stop information that may be passed on to gamblers from the players themselves. In a similar but unrelated move, banking giant Deutsche Bank has banned employees from using WhatsApp or SMS messaging on their company phones, in order to tighten up compliance with banking rules and regulations. Since they've accrued almost $14 billion in fines since 2008, anything they can do to stop problems arising seems like a great idea at this stage.

Finally, in the historic Roman city of Bath, England, a local pub has created a stir by banning phones at the bar. Apparently, this is as a result of calls from the local drinkers, who often ask the barman to make sure that people on phones go outside. Evidently, the landlord got sick of having to do this, and banned phones outright. It's not the only pub in the country to ban phones - The Gin Tub in London has even gone so far as to construct a Faraday Cage around their bar. But to compensate for this, old-fashioned dial phones are on each table to make ordering/reordering much easier.

March 26, 2017

THE MOBILE BANKING REVOLUTION

N26 is a new bank based out of Berlin, Germany, and it's just had a really good year - their user base has just tripled to 300,000 customers over the last 12 months. It has only been around since 2015, starting life as a checking account for Mastercard users in Austria and Germany. Now they offer banking and money transfer services being offered in 17 countries across Europe and offering the full range of features that you'd expect from any other bank. But what has got people talking is the fact that this is a mobile bank, and while such things are incredibly popular in other parts of the world, Europe has, on the whole, been very slow to adapt to it. And if N26 had a good year, then UK-based Atom Bank had a really good day, signing up 5,000 users in 24 hours. So is mobile banking starting to take off in Europe? The top ten mobile banking countries by user (based on a 2015 survey) show Africa leading the way by a significant margin. The USA comes in 8th place, and of European countries, only Sweden makes the list. But is this changing, or are we still not quite ready to trust our phones with our wallets?

Using a mobile device to help with your banking has been around for a while. First adopted in Germany in 1999, people were given the option of using SMS for a number of banking-based uses. Primarily, it was used to look up account and balance information, with the SMS being a quick and useful way to provide confirmations of transfers and payments. 'Online banking' was quickly adopted by banks around the world - but this was at a time when the internet was only available on desktop computers. It would not be until 2007 and the arrival of smartphones that people would think seriously about mobile banking. But in Africa, a revolution was already underway.

The advent of mobile phones had already changed everything, especially for the pastoral cattle farmers of Kenya. With huge swathes of unconnected land to navigate, farmers would bring their entire herds to market without knowing whether there would be buyers there, or how much stock they would need. Sometimes, they took journeys that lasted for weeks, only to discover that everyone else had already gone home. Obviously, once mobiles appeared, they changed everything. Now farmers could figure out where they needed to be, and by when, how many cows to take with them and what the price would be. Phones became so integral to life so quickly, that they became an economy in their own right. In 2002, researchers at the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation noticed an interesting trend - people were trading airtime as currency. In order to formalize this practice, provider MCel offered the first authorized credit-swapping platform in 2004, and by 2007, this had evolved into the first mobile-based money transfer system , M-Pesa.

M-Pesa's success was immediate and it is now the world's biggest money transfer service. The reason for its success is because it fills a need easily - namely that many people don't have easy access to banking services. Since its introduction, the difference it has made to people in Africa is clear. And now it is becoming part of life in other places, solving different problems in the same way. For example, issues of overcrowding. In the US, for example, there are on average, 144 people to every 1 ATM. In rural China, there are over two and a half thousand people per ATM, together with one physical bank branch for every ten thousand people. When the queues are that long, you need a better solution, and mobile banking has proved to be exactly that. 373 million residents of rural China used mobile banking last year, resulting in money transfers that totaled over $5 billion.

Apps, of course, have led to another great leap forward in mobile banking. But while many people are happy to use them, there is a reluctance amongst small businesses. The reasons for this are unclear - it may be that some people haven't yet caught on to the trend, or just don't trust their money with new technology just yet - and if they believe the latter, there's a lot of evidence to back them up. But it seems that this may be the direction we take in the future, whether we're ready for it or not.

March 15, 2017

LIFE IS A ROLLERCOASTER

Normally, people don't like long queues. They try to avoid getting stuck in traffic, eating too much sugary, expensive food, and when it comes to being subjected by massive amounts of G-Force against their will, then they really get ticked off. But even though you'll usually encounter all of these things when visiting a theme park, it's usually not a problem because... well, who doesn't love a theme park? Whether it's a one-off trip to somewhere really special, or an annual pilgrimage to your favorite ride, theme parks are still big business, and still growing. In fact, there are dozens of new theme parks opening or being constructed, so here's a look at some of the biggest and best.

The link between movie studios and theme parks is as old as the idea of theme parks themselves. Disneyland in California has been around since 1954, but has gone through a number of expansions and revamps to keep the experience fresh. When you combine this with a filmmaker who strives to make the viewing experience as real as possible, something quite special happens. That's exactly the case with Pandora: The World Of Avatar, which is opening in Florida in May this year. Who better to oversee the recreation of another world than the man who created it? James Cameron's personal interest in the park means that no details will be missed, and you'll find yourself truly transported to another world. As if that weren't enough, Disney have another expansion in the works - Star Wars. Opening in 2019, this 14 acre space in each of Disney's parks will offer a number of unique experiences, including the opportunity to rub shoulders with protocol droids on the street, and a chance to pilot the Millenium Falcon.

Over on mainland Europe, things are a little more restrained. If you're a fan of the classic children's story Heidi, for example, then I've got great news for you: there's a second Heidi-based theme park under construction in Switzerland! Being only 15 miles apart, both parks work along similar themes - an appreciation for the stunning Alpine surroundings and the simple pastoral life of those that live in them. Attractions at the new park, due to open in 2020, include milking goats, making stools and a period-set 3D journey to Frankfurt. If that doesn't quite sound exciting enough, then maybe you should head to Norway. This is where Thor's Rike is being constructed, a Viking-themed park where you can take a tour through the Norse underworld, barter at a Viking market and eat in a Viking mead-hall. I'm pretty sure taking long and dangerous sea voyages isn't part of the tour, and pillaging is probably frowned upon, but it sounds like fun nonetheless.

Finally, we visit Japan, who can be relied upon to go completely overboard with the theme park themes. The mayor of the town of Beppu, an area famed for its hot springs in the Kyushu Province, recently took to Facebook with an interesting proposal. He had created a video concept for what a theme park in Beppu might look like - and Beppu being all about the hot springs, that was what the theme park would be about. A rollercoaster made of hot tubs. Hot tubs in the cable car. A hot tub carousel. And so on, and so forth. If the video (which you can watch here) got 1 million ‘likes', production would begin on making the concept a reality. 1.8 million ‘likes' later, and things are about to get started on the world's first SPAmusement Park.

February 15, 2017

THE END OF YEAR LISTS

2016 is in the books, and as another year closes, we are inundated with hundreds of lists. The top 10 best movies of the year, the 20 worst posts on Facebook, etc, etc. For the most part, these are a light look back on the last 52 weeks, but there are sometimes some very useful nuggets of information to be found, if you can be bothered sifting through it all. We've done some of that work for you, bringing together some of the more useful lists for international travelers.

It's impossible to get an official figure for how many hotels there are in the world, but an educated guestimate made in 2012 put the figure at approximately 187,000 worldwide. Assuming that this figure has only grown in the last 5 years, there will now be more than 17.5 million guest rooms on offer. Making an informed choice about where you should stay would be an almost impossible task, were it not for the internet and the rises in user-reviewed sites. Having had their reviewers do all the legwork, it's simply a case of listing the top 10 or 20 reviews by popularity, and even easier for us to gather all of them together. So, here are the best rated hotels in the USA, Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa and the UK.

It’s fine when you're sending journalists out to review a luxurious 5-star hotel experience. Curiously enough, there is less enthusiasm when it comes to reviewing the worst hotels. There is, however, no such thing as bad publicity, and one enterprising company with hostels in Amsterdam and Lisbon is proudly claiming the title of the worst hotel in the world. Hans Brinker Hostels make a joke out of their somewhat questionable quality levels, but they know that their clientele isn't looking for 100% Egyptian cotton sheets and perfect room service. Just as long as they’ve got somewhere vaguely secure to pass out in, they're happy - something that cannot be said of a certain other high-profile hotel owner who has been in the news recently. Things were bad for him last year - they seem destined to only get worse.

Even the best hotel's efforts can be missed if you've had a miserable time getting there. It's not just the destination that is reviewed, but also the airline that gets you there. The best and worst airlines, as well as the best and worst airports, of the last year are also reviewed. If you're looking for inspiration, these are the top 20 travel books of the last year, and of course there is a list for the best travel-based apps available.

The Superbowl took place last weekend in the USA, the annual showcase of America’s best advertising efforts, where you can also watch a live Football game during the breaks. While some sporting purists might argue that it's supposed to be the other way around, the statistics don't lie - 16 minutes of gameplay over a four hour period, compared with over an hour of commercials, each costing an estimated $5 million to produce. And then, Batman's latest nemesis/Lady Gaga jumped off the roof.

One of the brands to make headlines due to their Superbowl adverts was T-Mobile. It wasn't for the advert featuring a tuxedo'd Justin Beiber. Nor was it the one that featured real-life odd couple Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. No, it was this pair of '50 Shades of Grey' themed commercials featuring comedian Kristen Schaal taking aim squarely at Verizon. As soon as the commercials aired, reps from Verizon headed straight to Twitter for some attempts at damage limitation. But T-Mobile's rogue CEO, John Legere was, as always, already waiting for them and once again got the better of the exchange. It's a testament to T-Mobile's attacking tactics that they've done so well in such a short space of time, taking the fight directly to their competitors, whose efforts seemed tame by comparison, choosing to focus on loyalty perks, the horrors of billshock and the lengths that people would go to to avoid it.

Phone companies leveraging star power to sell their products is nothing new. In fact, in the UK, it's been happening for some time. Kevin Bacon stars in a long-running campaign for EE (Everything Everywhere), which has been (mostly) well-received. The star of Footloose is one thing, but for A-List stars, you'll need to turn to BT (British Telecom) who have splashed the cash to invite over big-name stars such as Bruce Willis, Ryan Reynolds, Alec Baldwin and, most recently, Jeremy Renner to publicise their brand.

So there's no shortage of stars willing to travel to the UK to make a quick buck, but is there much traffic going the other way? Well we've yet to see Dame Judi Dench appear in an advert for Geiko, but there is plenty of work for one of Britain's more controversial performers. Well, we say 'work'; the truth is, Ricky Gervais didn't put a whole lot of effort into this pair of commercials for Verizon a few years ago. But at least these ones have props, and mention the product - which is more than can be said for the two commercials he made for Australian operator Optus.

As with all types of advertising, things can quickly take a dark turn. Feast your eyes, if you dare, on this horrendous reimagining by smartphone manufacturers LG of a world in which we are all Jason Statham. Or perhaps this nightmarish alternate reality is more your speed, in which your smartphone has been replaced by comedian TJ Miller. The worst is saved for rapper Lil' Wayne, who begins his smartphone journey in wide-eyed innocence as he discovers Samsung's Galaxy S7 is champagne-proof. But then we see him, presumably some time later, stuck in an endless loop. It is heart-breaking.

As competition between network operators and phone manufacturers heats up, it wouldn't be a surprise to see even more A-List stars appearing in commercials. Not all of them are going to be successful, of course, but it’s important to remember that we've come such a long way since the early days.

January 29, 2017

LONG-DISTANCE FOR THE FUN OF IT

Calling long-distance used to be something we only did on an occasional basis. A short call in the middle of a trip to parents or children used to be enough to make sure everyone knew you were okay and were having an appropriately wonderful time (or an appropriately horrible/busy time if it's a business trip). Now that we have international SIM cards, better domestic roaming deals that are improving all the time and VOIP, it's easier than ever before to call long distance. Now we don't need to do it out of obligation or security, we can, if we want, just do it for fun. So here are a few ways to talk to people in other countries that don't require any reason whatsoever.

Unfortunately, for the moment, you can't call the Swedish Number any more. Partly as a way to boost tourist interest, and partly to commemorate the abolition of censorship in the country in 1766, the Swedish Tourist Board set up a phone line that would connect callers from around the world with a random Swedish person. British comedy panel show, QI, recently tried this out for themselves, in front of a live studio audience. The result was a brief but charming encounter with a Swedish man who was, at the time, shopping for groceries. For the 79 days that the line was open, a whole year’s worth of calls were logged, with most interest being shown by callers from the USA. The project was a huge success and hopefully, it will return soon.

This does not mean you've missed your chance to speak to a random European. Impressed by the success of their northern neighbor, France has launched the French Number, their version of the same thing. Don't worry if you don't speak French, as anyone who signs up to receive random calls has committed to speaking English. Alternately, you could talk to a random person in a number of different countries, determined not by their location, but by religion – at least, that's what the Jewish Number promises. There are people from all over the world registered and ready to take your random calls, including Buenos Ares, Berlin and Kiev.

Of course, the internet is tailor-made for chatting with random strangers. There have been thousands of chat rooms and video chat sites over the years that have offered a way for strangers to connect with each other. Inevitably, of course, this being the internet, things are often, shall we say, corrupted, and made less enjoyable on account of the increasing likelihood of someone saying, or worse, showing something inappropriate. Really, the safest option is a voice chat, as you can't see anything, and it's harder to troll someone when you're speaking out loud. One of the most successful and frankly, strangest, of these apps is called Wakie.

When it was first launched in 2014, Wakie seemed counter-intuitive. Combining a call with an alarm clock doesn't seem like something that would take off. After all, if you're anything like me, words of more than one syllable first thing in the morning is a bit of a struggle. However, based on the results collated by its predecessor, a Russian app called Budist, it makes more sense than at first glance. The theory is that despite not being fully operational when it wakes up, a person's brain is at its most creative. In addition, a conversation is a far more effective method of fully regaining consciousness after sleeping, and users reported that it was far more effective than a bleeping alarm. Within its first year of operation, the Budist app boasted 700,000 users.

When it started, Wakie worked in the same way. Using VOIP and hiding both connected numbers for security reasons, people could set an alarm or offer themselves up as 'wakers'. The original call length was set to just one minute, which led to some amusing and bizarre situations. Now, however, the app has evolved. Not only are conversations capped at 10 minutes, you can choose a subject that you want to talk about, and someone can call you at any time you want. There are still the usual problems with talking to anyone random – occasional bad and/or creepy behavior, for example – but with two million users in 80 countries, it's one of the few social network apps that is genuinely social.

January 17, 2017

FINDING ADVENTURE IN A CONVENIENT WORLD

When The Mayflower left Plymouth in England in 1620, it took the first pilgrims 66 days to reach Cape Cod, a journey that now takes approximately 7 hours. The fictitious adventurer Phileas Fogg just about managed to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days, whereas the current record-holder, a Gulfstream G650, made it in under two days. Travelling long distances is becoming quicker, easier and cheaper than ever before, but for some people, this convenience is taking the adventure out of travelling. So they've decided to do something a little different, and have made their own adventures.

People have many reasons for going on a life-changing, time-consuming adventure, and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to learn that drunken bets comprise more than a few of them. That's exactly what happened to Ty Dalitz, a former farmer from Melbourne, Australia. As he himself says, - I first planned the trip a few years ago, it started off as a joke on some drunk nights. I spoke about it too much and committed myself. -What was it he had spoken too much about? An attempt to travel from Sydney, Australia to London, England without using a plane. Flying would have taken him just over 23 hours; Ty’s method took two years and just under four months. By his own admission, he could have finished his travelling much earlier, having arrived in Europe in July 2015, but 'got distracted', and spent a further year and a half exploring Europe, having several adventures and close shaves along the way.

Of course, Ty was 'only' trying to get from one side of the world to the other, something that Danish explorer Thor Pedersen might consider a bit too easy. After all, Thor's own challenge to himself is similar, but with a much expanded scope, as he is also attempting to travel without using a plane %u2013 but he's going to every country in the world. This is an epic journey that started three years ago, and isn't likely to end for another three, as at present, Thor still has 82 countries to visit. He's been using container ships for most of his sea-crossings, something which seems to have been an overwhelmingly positive experience for him, even if the crossings are a little slow (averaging at about two weeks per ocean).

Of course, this is all well and good if you can afford to save the amount it takes to implement a plan such as this. Ty's journey from Sydney to London cost him $30,000 in total, and even with a strict budget of only $20 per day for food, accommodation and other expenses, Thor Pedersen's journey will cost him over $43,000. The ideal thing would be to travel the world and be paid for the privilege of doing so. An impossible dream? Not at all. For example, you could get yourself a job as an intern aboard a Royal Caribbean International cruise line, and be paid the equivalent of $70,000 to take photos and post them to Instagram.

Alternately, you could take up the job offer recently posted by this family, who are looking for a nanny to help out while they travel the world. And this isn't a case of staying at home with the kids while the adults are off having fun %u2013 the kids, and the nanny, are coming too. While some on social media have commented that the salary offered ($1200-1500 per month) seems a bit low, it's got to be difficult to find something to compare it too. Whatever their thoughts on how the job pays, the family have been inundated with offers.

There's more out there than the hotel, beach and bar. You've just got to be willing to take the risk and explore the world in the ways that interest you. And just because we've made it quicker and easier to cover vast distances, it's worth remembering that there is plenty to see in all those miles that are eaten up when you're cruising at fifty thousand feet. So why not take your time and have an adventure?

January 10, 2017

CUSTOMER SERVICE

As the year draws to a close, there are the usual round-up of reviews and lists in the media. One such list out of the UK caught our eye - a weekly consumer advice column reviewed the worst customer service stories from the past year. What stood out was the amount of travel or travel-related companies that made the list: there are two travel agencies, a cruise line, a car hire company and an airline. When we took a look across the Atlantic to see if there were similar issues in the USA, the answer came quickly. Yes, there very definitely are.

There are subtle differences. While the UK says that the travel industry sector is the worst for customer service, American companies seem to do better. In their annual list of the worst performing companies for customer service, a travel company doesn't appear until 30th place, with Americans preferring to complain about banks and insurance companies, with the winners by a huge distance being telecoms companies and internet service providers. In fact, the view from outside the USA suggests that customer service is something that the USA does right, with 67% of respondents in a survey believing that America could show the UK how to do customer service right.

There are two main reasons why we travel - either we're on vacation, or it's a business trip. For people attempting the former, this might be something that they've been working towards all year, their one opportunity to be served by other people rather than the other way around. For the latter, having to travel to other countries for work is viewed by many as the opposite of fun, and anything that gets in the way of getting there, getting the job done and coming home again is a major problem. So when things go wrong, such as a flight being cancelled or delayed, an incorrect booking or even bad service from hotel staff, the level of anger and frustration is much higher than it might be at other times of the year. It's surprising what a huge difference this can make. Two recent stories out of Africa, for example, illustrate this.

The first story comes out of Cape Town in South Africa this week is sure to please any boss or industry professional - nothing but good things to say about a people who have embraced the concept of customer service. Contrast this with a complaint from the State Minister for Tourism in Uganda, who claims poor customer service is one of the biggest reasons why their tourism industry is floundering. Another country that is seeing some results from adopting a strong attitude to customer service is China - to an extent. It seems that the one hold-out to providing a good service are the most expensive hotel chains.

AI and automation are the buzzwords of the tech industry, with many believing that robots will replace many jobs currently done by humans. The truth is that this is already happening, particularly in the customer service sector. They are already working at airlines and in airports, and providing room and other services in hotels. Is removing the human element the answer to the perfect holiday? It certainly seems to be getting results.

With the web now in our hands wherever we go, doing something about bad service is only a few clicks away. Online reviews can mean life or death for a business, depending on how well they treat their customers. Now that a new law has been passed protecting online reviews, we can now be fearless in our reviews, and bring businesses that provide a bad service into the light, forcing them to change their ways. At least, that's the idea...

December 19, 2016

GOING THE DISTANCE
2016 is coming to an end, so it's time for a review of the travel trends and habits that will shape the coming year. So far, one thing is clear - we're getting really good at choosing vacations that suit us.
If there's one thing the internet is good for, it's giving you options. So if you're the sort of person who is happy to select a package deal that includes your flights, hotel, car hire and even meals, you can do that. But increasingly, we're taking a closer look, selecting each individual option ourselves, selecting them for convenience, cost or for any other reason we might have. So we're picking a different airline for our flights home than the one we picked to fly out, but more interestingly, we're flying to new places and further than ever before.
This is because nations and businesses are falling over themselves to make life easier for travellers. Norwegian Airlines, for example, has pledged to increase its transatlantic flights from the US to Europe by 55% next year. The country of Iceland has seen an epic rise in tourist visitors (a 38% increase in total, with 11 times more US visitors than last year) after cleverly positioning itself as a stop-off between the US and Europe. Travel to Europe is up in several key destinations, with savvy travelers taking advantage of the weak pound and coming to the UK, while steering clear of some places on the European mainland that have been the target of terrorist attacks.
It’s not just traditional destinations that are doing well. In our search for adventure and authentic experiences free of the normal tourist traps, we are headed to new places. You would not necessarily expect Kazakhstan to make the list of highest-rising tourist destinations for 2017, but this is another country that has gone to great lengths to make itself more attractive to travelers. In Kazakhstan's case, this means improving the country's air safety records, cracking down on terrorism and offering visa-free entry to visitors from 48 countries. 2016 was also the year that Cuba opened its doors to the US after over 50 years of stalemate. The question for many would-be visitors to the island now is whether they want to see it before anything changes too much, or whether they'll wait for modernization.
Whatever your plans are for your next vacation, don't be afraid to be bold. Go off the beaten track, have new adventures and life-changing experiences. Wherever it is you're thinking of heading, the chances are that it's a lot easier to achieve your goals now than ever before.

November 22, 2016

BUYING AND CELLING
With Black Friday coming at the end of the week and Christmas just around the corner, this is a great time not only to find the best bargains, but also to get a snapshot of current consumer trends. One thing that experts are expecting to see this year is huge increase in how much we use our smartphones during this period. While this information will be tremendously important when looking to the future to see how we might move toward a cashless economy, it's in India where the real changes are happening, for better or worse. And while the better is slowly beginning to gain ground, it's the worse it still very much in evidence.
On November 8th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an unscheduled and unexpected appearance on national television to tell the population that all 500 and 1000 rupee notes (with a value of approximately $7 and $14 respectively) would be demonetized. This move was as massive as it was unexpected. At the stroke of midnight that night, 86% of all the cash in India was declared invalid in a country that uses cash for 90% of all transactions. And all of this happened overnight with only 4 hours' warning for the world's second most populated country - 1.2 billion people.
There are, of course, several incredibly good reasons for this. The first is that India has a problem with tax, in that people just haven't been paying it. According to a 2013 report, only 1% of Indian citizens paid any income tax at all, and just 2% filed a tax return. The official figures showed just six individuals paying the highest rate of tax, but in a country that boasts over 80 billionaires, something seemed wrong. People can go to banks to change their old money for new, but anyone wanting to change amounts of a certain size will draw the attention of tax inspectors. Secondly, there's the issue of ‘black money' - the untaxed, untraced and unknown amounts of Indian currency that some experts estimate makes up 20% of Indian GDP. Swiss banks are said to have anywhere between $1 trillion to $2 billion (depending on who you ask) of untaxed Indian cash sitting in their accounts, which this demonetization is squarely aimed at. However, it's not just the ultra-rich that are having problems now but ordinary people, who prefer to stash their savings away at home, rather than put it in a bank. There is a recycling scheme in place - a way to change the old, worthless bills for new ones - but the sheer amount of hidden money that is suddenly coming to light is causing unexpected issues. The cash coming in is so dirty, that they may have to literally launder money. The final aim of the demonetization process is to disrupt terrorist activities in the volatile Kashmir region, an act that is already showing some success.
Obviously, such a seismic change to such a large country with a huge population is causing problems both in the long- and short-term. Banks are overstretched and ATMs run out on a daily basis. Not enough of the new 2,000 rupee bills have been printed yet, and many traders are unable to change them because they don't have anything smaller. (It also doesn't help that the new notes are bigger than the notes they replace, and therefore don't fit ATMs.) However, travelers are finding themselves caught up in the middle of things, and they're not having a great time. Many people are finding themselves with money they can't spend and are unable to change at the nearest bank as they don't have an account. Foreign travelers are more likely to have credit cards, but not everywhere in India takes a credit card, especially restaurants and bars. Early advice to bring dollars has not worked out, because local vendors don't have the cash to make change either. It's even causing huge problems at currency exchanges out of the country.
Necessity, as the proverb goes, is the mother of invention, to which we can now add adoption. After all, mobile wallets and e-commerce are nothing new, but with this crisis unfolding across India, more and more people are turning to their smartphones for a way to help. Things have progressed so quickly that demand for items such as credit or debit card swipers has outstripped supply, so what other options are there? The various mobile wallet companies across the country are already seeing huge results, with one company seeing over 7 million transactions over the last weekend. Earlier reports suggested that digital transactions would not exceed cash until at least 2023 - in India, this figure may well need to be revised. For now, no one is sure whether Modi's reforms are sustainable, or whether this will prove to be a stroke of genius or a huge misstep. Either way, it seems that we'll start to rely on our smartphones just that little bit more in the future.

November 7, 2016

+ 1 NUMBERS NOW AVAILABLE FOR INTERNATIONAL SIM
Telestial are pleased to announce that it is now possible to add a 1 US number to your International SIM card!
All International SIMs come with a 44 British Isles phone number, but now there is the extra option to add a 1 US number to your SIM for just $2 per month. This gives friends and family in the US the ability to call your international SIM card at the cost of a local call.
To add a US number to your SIM card, simply select the option after you have purchased and activated your SIM.

October 12, 2016

FASTER AND SLOWER
A new report out this week has some interesting findings, especially for US cellular networks: they are slowing down while at the same time speeding up. If this doesn’t make a lot of sense, don’t worry. We can explain everything.
The use of mobile data is increasing at a massive rate. In the last year, the amount of mobile data traffic over LTE (the standard method of wireless transmission via mobile devices) has increased in the US by 20%. This vast increase in users has put additional strain on the networks, leading to a drop in performance speeds. In some US cities, the network is performing as much as 50% slower than it used to. New York, for example, sat at the top of the Best LTE leaderboard for 2014. This year it is in seventh place, having suffered a 44% drop. You might have thought that having your wireless data speed drop by a half might prompt outrage among users in those locations - but the truth is that most people won’t have noticed.
This is because latency speeds have been improving. ‘Latency’ is the name given to the slight delay that information takes to get from one place to another. If you’ve ever seen a news item where a reporter is broadcasting live from one county to another, you’ll have noticed that there’s often a delay after one person has finished talking. This is a good example of latency, as the signal is being broadcast through the cameras, into a broadcasting center, bouncing off a couple of satellites and being fed through into the studio. While most phone calls are not routed via satellite, there are fractional delays when connecting calls across country, or between a smartphone and a router feeding information from the internet.
Thanks to better technology and upgraded networks, cellular networks have cut even these tiny delays down even further, to the extent that it counters the slowdown caused by network overload%u2026 for now. There are likely to be problems in the future, however, as the rate of increase in mobile data traffic is only set to continue to rise. Networks will need to invest heavily in new technology and network improvement.
Another reason why there has been little outrage in the drop in performance speeds is because most people use WIFI, and WIFI has been getting faster even as LTE is getting slower. In most US cities, WIFI is twice as fast as LTE and while it may have dropped almost 50% in LTE speed, New York’s WIFI speed is three times faster.
Networks will have to invest heavily in continuing to improve their network performance if they’re going to keep up. The rise in use of mobile data is set to continue to rise for at least the next five years. The development of national 4G networks and other technologies will help with this, but they won’t be cheap. Given that networks will be seeing an approximate $50 billion increase in revenue from all this mobile data use, they should be able to afford it.
In the meantime, if you were wondering who comes out on top, Verizon has the best national coverage, but T-Mobile has the best speeds. And if you want to use mobile data while you’re in the USA, a Telestial data SIM card and JT Hotspot are the right combination to get the very best performance. So now you know!

September 19, 2016

EU ROAMING - ONE STEP FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK
In under a year, the European Union's plan to eliminate mobile roaming charges across the whole of Europe will be in place. There has been a bit of movement over the last few weeks, and while it was thought that some advances had been made, the EU President, Jean-Claude Juncker, stepped in to slow things down. Here's a breakdown of what happened.
On the 6th September, plans were announced to introduce a 90-day Fair Use Policy for Europe-wide roaming. Users would be limited to 90 days of European roaming per year, and for 30 consecutive days at a time. These provisions were added to safeguard the interests of local telecoms operators in the individual states. If, for example, the operators in a large and populous European country offered rates that were lower than an operator in a smaller country, domestic users in that smaller country could use a SIM from the larger company. This would cause huge problems for the telecoms providers in that smaller country, who would already be hurting from the loss of any European roaming revenue that they would have previously received - this would potentially put them out of business.
However, there was an immediate backlash from consumers, particularly pensioners, many of whom take cruise tours of Europe that last significantly longer than 30 days at a time. Many believed that when the EU said they were abolishing roaming across Europe, they should do so without time limits - including President Juncker who immediately sent the proposals back to the drawing board. While the new proposals are expected to be revealed later this week (we’ll keep you updated), that wasn’t the only thing the EU President had to say. He went on to make a range of further promises, including free WIFI in public places, a working 5G network in at least one city in each EU member state, and a reform of the EU’s digital copyright rules.
While his proposals are both generous to consumers and ambitious, some of them have been received incredibly poorly. For example, his digital copyright reform is being seen as protection for traditional publishers (ie newspapers) at the expense of innovators such as Google by forcing them to pay to replicate content online. In addition, the removal of the Fair Use Policy from the roaming plans is not going to make telecoms operators happy %u2013 a fact that could come back to bite the EU Commission when it comes to implementation of their plans for 5G connectivity. 5G doesn’t currently exist, but will be ready by 2018, at which point there will be an auction of the available spectrum. Traditionally, these auctions have brought in billions in bids for home nations. But if operators feel like they’ve been harshly treated over the loss of roaming revenue (which in some countries is over $2.5 billion per year), they might be less inclined to spend huge amounts of money for a 5G license - something that has traditionally provided a huge boost to a country’s annual revenue.
Whatever the EU Commission decides, it’s clear that many eyes will be watching with interest to see whether they can come up with a deal that satisfies everyone - or whether their quest to bring huge multinationals to heel will cause bigger problems further down the line.

August 22, 2016

BILLSHOCK IN 2016
Huge steps have been taken over the last few years to eliminate the threat of billshock for traveling cell phone users. People are far more aware of the risks and take steps to ensure that they check their cell plans more carefully to see what the rates are - and companies are reducing roaming rates, adding more options and countries and putting in place caps on data use. But we’re still seeing stories of billshock in the papers, sometimes because of the customer’s negligence, but also and more disturbingly, sometimes for reasons completely outside the user’s control. We take a look at some of the latest stories here, a collection of cautionary tales.
Robbed, Twice
We start with the sad story of a British couple who were robbed at knifepoint in Athens, earlier this year. Among the items taken were the couple’s phone, which was then used to run up charges of over $7,500 in a very short space of time. The cellphone company involved, Vodafone, insisted that these charges should be paid even when they knew that they were the result of crime, and it was not until both the press and telecoms regulator got involved that they decided to drop the charges.
At the heart of this issue is the increase in something known as SIM-box fraud. A SIM-box is a device that houses multiple SIM cards and was at first, a method by which fraudsters could avoid international call charges by making it appear as if a call was local when in fact it was international. However, this scam has become more sophisticated due to the introduction of premium rate telephone numbers. Set up by the fraudsters, these numbers would be charged at the highest regular rate for a normal call, with part of the cost being paid to the person leasing the line. But by filling a SIM box with stolen SIM cards, a SIM box can be used to make hundreds of calls to these premium rate numbers in a very short space of time. Another case involving a theft in Spain led to almost $20,000 being spent on an account in one night. This is only the expense for the customer - because the SIM-box fools the network into thinking a call is local rather than international, the network is also losing out - which is why networks are reluctant to waive these charges.
This type of fraud is on the rise in Europe and will soon start costing telecoms operators and countries huge amounts of money, as is already happening in Africa. It’s a difficult thing for consumers to prepare for. With an increasing awareness of roaming costs and better deals for travelers, many people feel confident roaming on their domestic contract SIM, but these are the SIMs that can accrue thousands of dollars in costs overnight. A pre-paid local or international SIM card only has the credit that is already on the card to spend.
Roaming In Rio
One of the biggest stories to come out of this year’s Olympic Games in Rio, as it turns out, was not actually true. But the galactically stupid Ryan Lochte’s tall tales have overshadowed several entirely true stories of theft, either from the Olympic Village or at knife or gunpoint in the streets. While it’s not a story of billshock, Great British track athlete Greg Rutherford had his mobile phone stolen shortly after winning a bronze medal in the long jump. The upsetting aspect of this story is that the phone was full of photos and videos of Rutherford’s young son Milo - memories that he’ll likely never see again. It’s a warning to phone users everywhere - you should regularly back-up your phone’s files to the cloud or to another storage device.
Meanwhile, a rookie error from Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura almost saw him having to pay up to $5,000 in roaming charges for playing Pokemon Go in Rio. The gymnast did not check the rates for Rio, and thought he was paying a flat roaming fee for data, when he most assuredly was not. Once again, press interest in the story meant that his carrier was prepared to dramatically lower the fee, but others might not be so lucky.
At Least They’re Trying(Some of them)
With roaming now being in the international consciousness, various companies around the world are taking steps to ensure that customers don’t overspend. They introduce caps on daily mobile data usage, warning texts and are widening the range of countries that people can visit on their domestic SIM. For operators moving into new markets, dealing with potential billshock issues can generate a lot of goodwill, which is exactly the case in India. Vodafone have just launched there, and have announced that they waive any excessive data charges experienced by first time customers.
Meanwhile, some users from the UK on O2’s network are unhappy with their service - not because they’ve spent too much, but because they’ve used too little. Many operators offer a flat daily fee for mobile use abroad, usually in the form of a ‘bolt-on’ (although only JT can claim that they managed to get Michael Bolt-on to advertise their deals). However, many customers are finding that this is not what they want - especially with people being charged more than $2.50 per day for a single text message.
North of the border, things have reached breaking point. Sick of suffering some of the worst roaming rates in the world, customers in Quebec, Canada have launched a class-action lawsuit against telecoms operators there. We will be keeping a close eye on this lawsuit as it develops and will bring you the latest updates.

August 9, 2016

RIO 2016 - THE TECH OLYMPICS
If you’re a resident, visitor or competitor involved in the 2016 Olympic Games, the influence of technology is being felt more keenly than ever before. From enhancements to training or competition, viewing the games in person or via media or just someone hoping to take advantage of the attention the Olympics will bring, there is something new that technology has to offer across the board, together with associated benefits and pitfalls. In this post, we take a look at some of the bigger changes.
Competitors
For the athletes, technology has allowed them to make huge advances, both in training and in competition. For the US team, a range of wearable deviceshas transformed their training regimes, allowing more data to be collected than ever before. From heads-up displays for track cyclists to movement trackers in boxing gloves, more information than ever before is available to help athletes reach their dreams of Olympic Gold.
The events themselves are subject to change bought about by technological advances. Underwater lap counters have been built into the bottom of the pools, so that competitors taking part in long-distance swimming events can which lap they are on without having to keep count themselves. The Archery and Shooting competitions will have laser-based scoring systems, meaning almost real-time updates for scores (previously, everyone had to wait for targets to be checked manually before a score was compiled). And in the Volleyball, video replays will be used to decide on close-call balls that land on or near the line.
Unfortunately, there is another side to this particular Olympics, and that is related to protection. After a sailor in a pre-Olympic test Sailing competition was diagnosed with the flesh-eating MRSA virus, there has been a great deal of concern about water pollution. Fears for the safety of rowers, sailors and swimmers competing have led to contributions from engineers and scientists as they try to make things safer for their teams. One such example is the ‘second skin’ suits being prepared for the US rowing team.
Broadcasters/Sponsors
It’s not just athletes that are concerned by conditions in Rio. With average worldwide viewing figures for an Olympic event reaching 3.5 billion people, a vast army of broadcasters and journalists will be descending upon Rio to help bring the spectacle to a global audience. Concerns about the Zika Virus have caused many athletes to pull out, including four of the world’s best golfers. It’s a concern that is shared by many of the tech workers who will be travelling to Brazil this year.
Those that do make the trip to Rio will be busier than ever before. Comcast, for example, is ramping up its coverage to include live streaming of every single event, an undertaking that is expected to surpass 4,500 hours of viewing. This will also be the first ‘VR’ Olympics, as NBC have partnered with Samsung to bring several events in Virtual Reality, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Samsung, the official smartphone sponsor of the Olympics, has also brought out a special version of its S7 Edge phone.
Other sponsors have used the event to showcase their technological advances, including Nissan, who have provided a fleet of clean-energy cars, and Visa, who have created an Olympic ring (I see what you did there) for 45 athletes to trial during their stay.
Locals/Visitors
If you’d looked at the city of Rio on Google Maps just two years ago, you might be mistaken in thinking that there seemed to be far more open spaces than there actually were. This is because prior to 2014, Google had not been able to figure out a way to safely map Rio’s infamous favelas. They are able to do so now, thanks to an army of workers armed with smartphones who have been going around the areas, tagging small businesses and other places of interest. Given that one in five inhabitants of Rio lives in a Favela, this has had a massive and transformative effect upon their lives. Thousands of small businesses, including stalls, restaurants and other stores can be found, both online and off, giving them access to new audiences and customers.
Local Brazilians have leapt at this new opportunity, and are capitalizing upon it. The economic crisis gripping Brazil has proven to be a boon to Airbnb, the home-sharing business. Renting out your spare room for the Olympics has proven to be a great source of income for cash-strapped homeowners, with the site claiming that over 50,000 guests are scheduled to be using the service during the Games. Google has also provided training to many service workers, including bus and taxi drivers, waiting staff and store owners in how to use their Translate app.
Despite all these advances, there are still plenty of reasons to be careful while in Rio. Levels of crime remain very high, and there are plenty who are planning on taking advantage of the influx of visitors. A recent report discovered that while there were plenty of WIFI hotspots springing up around the Olympic areas of Rio, a quarter of them were not secure. You should make your WIFI choices very carefully (although bringing your own remains one of the safest methods to avoid trouble), ensure your phone is secured and password protected, and take heed of any other travel advisory warnings.

July 15, 2016

HOW POKÉMON GO IS ALREADY CHANGING THE WORLD

The original Pokémon craze in the late 1990s was an international cultural phenomenon. There were card games, computer games, cartoons, TV shows, movies… the ‘gotta catch them all!’ bug-chasing game captured the world’s imagination. It was hoped that a new game, Pokémon Go, launched on the 6th of July in the US, Australia and New Zealand, would ride a wave of nostalgia to success and profit. In a short space of time and just three countries, it has already achieved that and so much more. In the last seven days:

It’s worth repeating that this has all happened within a week, and because of an app released in just three countries. What, for Pikachu’s sake, is going on!?

It has been clear right from the start that Pokémon Go is not merely a game or an app, but rather the start of something entirely different - although that’s not strictly true. The app can be classified as an augmented reality game – a concept which has been in existence for quite some time now. It is an application which superimposes a digital display onto a real-world view through your smartphone’s camera in real time (see, for example, Snapchat’s filters or earlier versions of the game concept). What makes Pokémon Go so different is that it puts two giants together –Nintendo and Google (who own Niantic Inc., the company that made the app) to bring the monster-hunting concept (which many fans are already very familiar with) to life. The app uses your phone’s maps, GPS and camera to allow you to find, locate and catch your own monsters and gear – just like the characters in the original story. But instead of moving a character around a computer-generated game world, this all takes place in the real world. Environment-specific monsters can be found in certain areas, such as parks, lakes, deserts, shady corners… and so on.

So, in order to play the game, you need to get out and about. Some believe that there could be unintended health benefits to this, as people have been walking long distances to try to find specific creatures. But this also means a good deal of blundering about, with distracted people glued to their smartphone screens rather than looking where they are going. Because certain items and monsters appear at locations that everyone nearby can see, it’s a tool that could be used by muggers or other criminals to trap the unwary. And of course, because it’s a game where the aim is to ‘catch them all’, it will no doubt lead to conflict and crime – just like it did the first time around.

Despite the sheer number of stories appearing due to this new phenomenon, it’s clear that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The game will eventually be released worldwide. Currently, there are 128 monsters available to catch – from a list of 729. When the game was card-based, the rarest cards priced at $100,000 – what lengths will collectors be forced to go to in order to find the rarest examples in this game? Will we see people travelling to remote international locations just to find a computer generated creature? How will locals react to international travelers wanting to play the game? What effect will such a massively popular game have on the world’s already overloaded phone networks? The answers remain to be seen. What is undeniable, however, is that this is something new, something huge, and something that we could very well look back upon and say – this was the moment things changed.

Hotels.com, an online booking site, has produced a very interesting survey about mobile phones and travel habits. Compiled by 9,200 travelers across 31 countries, the Hotels.com Travel Tracker survey reveals that smartphones have changed the behavior of many travelers, and not always for the better. One particularly damning statistic is that people would much rather travel with their phone than a friend or relative, with 76% of US travelers saying that their phone is their number one travel accessory, more than twice the amount that picked a human (although, in fairness to the human race, this is probably because people don’t usually consider their friends and family ‘travel accessories’).

Other findings are broadly in line with our increased interest and use of smartphones generally. Holidaymakers spent an average of three hours per day on their phones while they were on vacation (though 10% said they used their phone for a staggering 10 hours per day!) and these were mostly used to connect on social media. Checking the news and looking up travel information came in close behind. Fast and reliable WIFI remains the number one thing people look for when booking a hotel, but there are couple of surprises here. For example, offering reliable customer reviews and the right range of payment methods are now more important to people than the price of the room. Many respondents said that their smartphone had made them more spontaneous, with far more people booking their hotels on the same day they intend to check-in, and 14% of people now leave it until they are in the departure lounge before their flight to pick a hotel.

Because of the increasing importance of our phones, you need to make sure that you have the best rates when roaming abroad so it’s important to research the places you are visiting before you travel. Our new trip planner clearly lays out your options and what everything will cost – and because (thanks to surveys such as this) we know that people plan their trips either in bed (27%) or in some cases, in the bathroom (10%), you can do all this on your smartphone!

June 14, 2016

INTRODUCING OUR NEW ‘TRAVELER’ INTERNATIONAL SIM CARD

The summer is here, and as people’s thoughts turn to where they might want to go on vacation this year, Telestial’s thoughts turn to how we can best save you money on your calls if you do. With this in mind, we are pleased to announce the launch of our new Traveler International SIM card. There are a number of changes important changes that we’re really excited about.

Direct Calling in 80 Countries

Our SIMs used to work using Callback technology (you can see an overview of how this works here). Now you can make direct calls in 80 countries from the most popular tourist destinations including Europe, the USA and Australia. Direct calling offers a more natural, seamless experience like you would encounter with your domestic provider. We will be adding more countries to the direct calling list as they become available, but you won’t need to buy a new SIM to keep up to date – it will automatically update, meaning you can keep using your SIM for longer.

Data Plans

Over half of all internet connections now come from mobile phones. The applications that a modern phone is capable of running – from Facebook to Netflix and everywhere in between – make it an affordable and convenient replacement for tech that was previously only available on desktops or tablets. But all these things require a data connection, and for many people, the prohibitively high price of mobile data can mean that they stop using such apps while they’re traveling. Telestial believe that nothing should get in the way of your enjoyment while you’re away, so we have launched a range of data plans that can save you up to 300% on your mobile data costs. Broken down into two global regions, you can buy a plan of up to 2GB of data, more than enough for all your online needs.

Simpler Rates

We’ve made it significantly easier to plan your trip and figure out what rates are available in the countries you are visiting. Instead of having to look up each country individually for a multi-country trip, we’ve created a trip planner, which will show you the rates for multiple destinations on the same page. Data Plans are split into two regions, and we’ve made topping up clearer and easier so that you can see exactly which options are available and work best for you.

Access to the Best Networks

The new Traveler SIM covers over 190 countries, but also gives you access to over 380 networks, which is twice as many. This gives you numerous options that you wouldn’t necessarily get by roaming on your domestic SIM. Most domestic operators make deals with a few partners in other countries, usually one or two. However, since making deals with operators is the core of our business, our roaming SIM cards give us access to significantly more networks. If you find yourself traveling through an area where the coverage is patchy or your signal breaks up, the SIM will switch to a stronger network.

Family and Friends Call Free

Saving money on calls is great, but free calls? Even better! This is why we’ve set up a toll-free number for your friends and family to use to get in touch with you. It’s not completely free – you will have to pay a small surcharge to receive a call, but if you’re a long way away from home and don’t want your family to pay out for an international call, this option will cut costs for everyone. Right now, it’s only available if someone calls you from the USA, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the UK, but we’re planning on adding new countries soon.

Automatic Updates

As we’ve already detailed, the Traveler SIM will update automatically when new direct calling countries are added. But there are even more features that we’ve got planned that will be added to the SIM in a similar way – you won’t need to do anything to take advantage of them. We will soon be offering the option to add a +1 US number, for example, and while you can currently receive fast LTE data in 20+ countries, we’ll be adding more as soon as they become available.

We think that these changes will help make your traveling experience that much more enjoyable as you won’t have to leave your phone locked up in your hotel or back at home. So if you’re headed overseas this summer, grab yourself a new Traveler SIM ($19, with $10 of included credit) before you travel and start saving now!

May 25, 2016

OUR GUIDE TO THE RIO OLYMPICS

In just a few months, all eyes will be on Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Having already picked up a Brazil SIM card, you’ll need to know where to go next. There are four regions of the city where events will take place, so here’s a guide to all the things you can do in those places while you’re not cheering on your national team.

Maracanã

In the west of the city, on the coast, is the region known as Maracanã, which is already home to one of the world’s greatest sporting icons. Rebuilt and renovated for the 2014 Football World Cup, the Maracanã Stadium has played host some legendary football, and several footballing legends. These athletes were so adored and recognisable that many of them only need a single name – Pelé, Rivaldo, Zico, Ronaldinho, Zico, Neymar… the list goes on and on. As well as guided tours, there is a museum, where you can relive some amazing goals and check out some exclusive memorabilia. This is a must for any serious football fan. As well as hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, the stadium will also play host to – what else? – the Olympic football tournament.

It is well-known that Rio loves to party, especially during Carnavale season in the period leading up to the Catholic observance of Lent. But where else in the world would they purpose-build a stadium to better show off the skills of competing Samba Schools? The Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí is exactly that, a half-mile runway, flanked on either side by stands for spectators, where the remarkable displays of exotically-costumed dancers can parade to best effect. While the Olympics takes place at the wrong time of year for the Carnavale, you can be sure that the Samba Schools will put on something special for the opening ceremony. Because of its long shape, it’s a perfect venue for the Olympic archery tournament, and will also be the start and finish point of the marathon.

Copacabana

Just a little to the South of Maracanã, is the more famous Copacabana, immortalised in cheesy song (as is the borough of Ipanema). This legendary beach front region will play host to the volleyball competition on the beach, and the coastal road is a perfect venue for road-cycling, the marathon and triathlon events. As well as the white sands of the beach, this has proved to be an ideal venue for concerts, including a 1994 New Year’s concert by Rod Stewart that drew a crowd of 3.5 million and remains the biggest ever.

Flamengo Park is the unofficial name of Parque Brigadeiro Eduardo Gomes, a 300 acre area of urban parkland. This is one of the best places to be on a sunny weekend, with Brazilian families flocking to enjoy the green space. There are football pitches, tennis and basketball courts, and even an area for model plane enthusiasts to practice. For those looking for a bit of culture amongst the agriculture, you’ll also find an open-air theatre, the Rio museum of modern art and a sculpture park dedicated to those that died during World War 2. The wonderful backdrop of Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Christo Redentor will make it a perfect venue for the cycling and walking road races.

Barra

You wouldn’t have thought that Barra da Tijuca would be selected to host the majority of the Olympic events taking place in Rio, not when its name translates as ‘swampy sandbank’. Thirty years ago, the area barely existed, then being a huge beach adjoining a series of lakes and swamps. Now, however, the area has been transformed into one of the most metropolitan and luxurious parts of Rio, so it’s no wonder Olympic organisers were happy for most of the attention to be centred on it. Here you’ll find the Olympic Arena, the Velodrome, the official Hockey and Tennis Centres and Riocentro, which at all other times is the largest convention centre in Latin America, but this summer will host the weightlifting and boxing.

Outside the events, there’s plenty to see and do in this neighbourhood, particularly if you fancy a bit of shopping. There are several malls here, including the biggest in Brazil, with a wealth of entertainment and dining options as well as stores. In a region so young, there’s not much history to speak of, with one notable exception – Barra da Tijuca is the birthplace of Gracie Barra Ju-Jitsu. The martial art of Ju-Jitsu has existed since the 17th Century in Japan, but it thrives today not only on its own merits but also as a key component to the sport of MMA, mainly down to the influence of one family – the Gracie dynasty. Now with thousands of schools around the world, Gracie Barra MMA is one of Brazil’s most famous exports.

Deodoro

Deodoro is the Olympic area that is furthest from the city centre, but also hosts the most eclectic mix of events. Surrounded by rolling hills, traditional events such as equestrianism and shooting will be held here; alongside some of the newer, more exciting events such as BMX biking, white-water rafting and, for the first time in Olympic history, rugby sevens. The extreme sports park will remain after the event is over, offering the young people of Rio a lasting legacy.

Here you’ll find the Aerospace Museum, with over 50 planes from various eras to explore and learn about. Part of the National Air Force’s university, and with a couple of real squadrons based at the site, the museum is a great place to tour. It’s also the home of the Smoke Squadron, Brazil’s version of the Red Arrows or Blue Angels, who will no doubt be making an appearance at either the opening or closing ceremony.

May 22, 2016

Is Internet Censorship on the Rise?

Social media is considered an increasing problem by some governments around the world. Its ability to bring people together, to allow them to communicate and organize, can be a real problem for some governments, to the extent that they would rather turn the entire internet off rather than risk people using it. While this is upsetting, inconvenient and expensive for the citizens of these countries, it can be a real surprise for travelers. While the world is becoming more and more connected, it would be a mistake to rely on this when you are abroad. While you can rely on hotel WIFI and messaging apps to communicate with the folks back home, it would be a mistake to do so without a back-up plan that involves calls and texts. In the last week, there have been several instances where the internet, or aspects of social media, have been shut down by government officials. Let’s look at some of these:

Iraq

It’s exam season in Iraq, and in this modern age of smartphones, technology and connectivity, cheating is becoming a serious concern. However, many people have criticized the government’s decision to completely shut down the entire internet for short periods as something of an overreaction. This is something that happened last year, but without much explanation. The outages have been running for three consecutive days so far, and look set to continue until the exams are over.

Vietnam

For many people, particularly in Asia, Facebook may as well be the internet as far as they are concerned. So when Facebook (and Instagram) is blocked, as happened in Vietnam last weekend, it can be a jarring and unnerving experience. It is precisely because the social media giant is such an effective tool for connecting people with similar viewpoints that puts it at risk of closure, as the government can take exception to large groups of people organizing protests. In this case, people are deeply unhappy at about an environmental disaster caused by a Taiwanese plastics corporation and have been using social media to express this.

Uganda

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was sworn into office for a fifth term, after an election that was considered questionable by international observers and human rights groups. Social media sites Facebook and Twitter were blocked for four days while the election took place, only being restored once it was over. Sites were also blocked back in February for similar reasons.

India

Over the last six months, the Indian government has had a somewhat trigger-happy approach to internet shutdowns, with ten events in the last few months. The current outages are happening in the city of Azamgarh, where there are tensions between two community groups. The government has shut the internet down in order to stop the spread of rumours and also to monitor social media postings over the last few days. Among those affected are banks, which have lost up to 33 million dollars’ worth of e-commerce revenue as a result of the shutdowns.

Brazil

While there is currently a good service in Brazil, many citizens have suffered recently due to a court order to shut down WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging app used by millions in Brazil. In one of her last acts before being suspended from office, former President Dilma Rousseff passed a decree related to net neutrality which also included an attempt to stave off further attempts to shut down social media. However, the decree is not expected to take effect until next month, and with Rousseff now impeached, it is unclear whether this will become law or not. With the Olympics coming this summer, some clarity on this issue is urgently needed.

Morocco

Back in February, Moroccan telecoms companies blocked all VOIP services throughout the country, including Skype, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. It is believed that this has been done to protect telecoms companies’ revenues, but it has not been a popular decision. Today, Maroc Telecom, one of the biggest ISPs in the country, has begun blocking online gaming, in a move that is likely to further infuriate people. Despite an increasing number of people signing petitions against these moves, the government has not stepped in to help.

May 2, 2016

WORLD YOUTH DAY COMES TO POLAND – THINGS TO DO WHILE YOU’RE THERE!World Youth Day was started in 1985 by Pope John Paul II, and has grown into one of the world’s biggest events. It definitely draws the world’s biggest crowds; the world record for the greatest attendance of a religious festival was won by WYD in 1995 when 5 million gathered in the Philippines for the final mass (a record only surpassed last year, when the current Pope gave another mass, also in the Philippines). Young people from all around the world come to celebrate their faith, share in their diversity and generally have a great time. This year, the event returns to Poland for the first time since 1991. This year, the theme is ‘mercy’, and the event will feature a special tribute to the recently canonized founder, St John Paul II, himself a polish citizen.
If you are headed to Poland this summer for World Youth Day (or for any other reason), there is a vast array of things to do. We’ve made a small list from some of the huge amount of options available to you.
Eat, Drink and Be Merry
One of the first things you’ll want to do when you arrive in Poland is grab yourself something to eat. Some Polish foods are famous the world over, such as kielbasa pork sausage or pierogi dumplings, and you should definitely waste no time before sampling these. But there are dozens of other treats, including an amazing array of desserts including makowiec, a traditional poppy-seed and piernik, a version of gingerbread served with a chocolate glaze. However, our favourite food from Poland has to be the amazing oscypek. Served on its own, or grilled with bacon, apple and cranberry sauce, you might have a hard time finding this salted sheep’s cheese. It’s native to the Tatra Mountain region, but the real problem is you might find yourself looking at oscypek and think it’s something else entirely. This is because the cheese is cured for two weeks, giving it a light brown colour on the outside, and also because it is pressed into an intricate spindle that gives it the appearance of carved wood.
Once you’ve filled your belly (or even while you’re doing it), you’ll want to wash your food down with a drink. This being Poland, the most obvious choice is vodka. But unlike some other vodka-drinking nations, it’s not simply enough to knock back shot after shot of the pure stuff – in Poland, they prefer to blend it with other flavours. From the cherry-infused Wi%u015Bniówka to Goldwasser, which combines a plethora of herbs and spices with flakes of real gold, there’s plenty on offer. But the most famous Polish vodka these days is probably Zubrówka, which comes with a blade of bison grass from the Bialowieza Forest. Why bison, you ask? Well…
Enjoy the Great Outdoors
Poland has a huge array of environments and areas to satisfy even the most adventurous traveler, but two areas stand out. First, there is the aforementioned Bialowieza Forest, a last remnant of the vast, primeval forest that once covered the whole of Europe. It is here that you’ll find (if you’re lucky) the European Bison. While most of us think of Bison as an American icon, roaming the great plains of the Midwest, the European Bison is primarily a forest-dwelling beast. And they have a wonderful forest to dwell in. Some of the oak trees are so vast and old that they have individual names, such as Emperor of the North, the Dominator Oak and The Guardian of Zwierzyniec. With some of these great trees being over 400 years old, they are well worth tracking down.
When you think of Poland, you don’t think ‘desert’ – but that’s exactly what you’d be thinking after a visit to Slowinski National Park. On the coast of the Baltic Sea, there are several acres of shifting sand dunes. There are also several large lakes, seven rivers and 87 miles of tourist tracks around the park, giving you ample opportunity to enjoy the beach, the dunes or the wildlife.
Castles and other sights to see
With a long and tumultuous history both internally and with its neighbours, it’s no surprise that there are hundreds of castles in Poland. From the vast edifices of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, to the ruins of Ogrodzieniec, built in the 13th Century to help fend off the invading Mongol Hordes, there are castles of every kind to be found all over the country. One that truly cannot be missed is Malbork, the largest (and most imposing?) Gothic castle in Europe.
The towns are no less charming, including the old town of Krawkow which was one of the few that escaped the devastation of the Second World War. There is also Olsztyn, which has been painstakingly reconstructed. Of course, to truly bring home the awful horror of World War II, one must visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum.
Another of Poland’s great visitor attractions is the Wieliczka Salt Mines. As well as tours of the mines themselves (which have been in operation since the 14th Century), concerts and plays are often held there, and there is a hotel and spa that offers you the opportunity to spend a night 135m below sea level.
Enjoy the Festivities
Poland is host to several key outdoor music festivals this year (including Open’er and Przystanek Woodstock 2016), but sadly none are running during the week of WYD. However, there are a couple of other festivals going on, including the 21st Open Air Jazz Festival in Warsaw’s old town. Running for almost two full months between July and August, this event attracts the biggest name in jazz from all over the world.
Meanwhile, in Gda%u0144sk, another long-running festival will be taking place for three weeks between July and August. St Dominic’s Fair was first established by papal decree in 1260 and was very soon one of the key dates in any European trader’s calendar. It was not long before hundreds of ships were arriving at the port of Gda%u0144sk to trade, make deals and be entertained. Some 750 years later, it is still one of the largest market festivals on the European mainland.
Stay in Touch
With so much going on and so much to see in Poland, you’ll want to have a way to keep in touch with friends and family back home, to make sure they know you’re okay, and to share your experiences. The best way to do this is with our Europe SIM card. Everything is priced at 25c (17p); calls are 25c per minute, texts cost 25c to send, and data is priced at 25c per MB. With $10 free credit, this gives you more than enough to upload photos, check maps and send videos. If you’ve travelled from further afield, calling back home isn’t too expensive either, with calls to the rest of the world priced at 59c per minute.
Whatever your plans, we hope that you have an amazing time at WYD 2016!

April 28, 2016

DON’T FORGET TO PACK THESE – THE BEST TRAVEL APPS

With over 1.5 million apps available on app stores, it can be easy to get lost in all the options. We’ve curated a list of some of the best apps that make life easier for travelers.

With over 100,000 commercial flights taking off around the world per day, you would need to be an air traffic controller to keep track of them all. Alternatively, you can get the Flightrack app and keep tabs on your flight from the comfort of your smartphone. Search for flights by airport, route, flight number or destination, and receive real-time updates of how things are going. You’ll receive push notifications as soon as your flight is allocated a departure gate, and the status of your aircraft is updated with helpful color-codes – green for early, blue for on-time, amber for delayed and red for cancelled. You can even coordinate with groups of friends or family coming into a destination on different flights from different parts of the world; the app will keep you updated about when they left, where they are and when they’re due to arrive.

I’ll never forget the day my family and I were waiting in line at the check-in desk, and my Dad, with a weary sigh, said that he’d wished we’d bought the television with us. My Mom asked him why that was, and he replied: “Because I left our passports on top of it.” Fortunately, Packpoint is here to make things right. Just enter your destination and how long you’ll be staying, and this fully customizable app will prompt you to gather the right number of socks and shoes. Delve deeper into things, and you’ll find suggested lists for various activities, such as business meetings, spending time at the beach or more robust outdoor activities. It will even suggest an umbrella after having checked the forecast to see if one is necessary.

Finding yourself in an unfamiliar country, surrounded by strangers and in a culture very different to your own can be an exciting, but also very disorienting, experience. Jetlag increases this disorientation dramatically and can be a real problem, eating into your vacation time or causing stress because you need to be alert for a business meeting. Developed by the University of Michigan, Entrain is designed to help you manage your sleep patterns between time zones by incrementally changing your sleep schedule until you are in synch with the new time zone. With graphs and user-shared information, it’s a truly crowd-sourced solution to an awkward problem.

Worldmate is a one-stop-shop for travelers on the go. With flight tracking and alerts, hotel recommendations and car reservations, every aspect of your journey can be planned out in advance, right down to a detailed map of directions from the airport to your hotel. It will even inform you if there’s a hotel offering a better deal than the one you are currently considering. This is a must-have for business travelers, 10 million of whom have downloaded and use the app at present.

Having mapped the world from just about every conceivable angle – from the sky, satellite and streets – Google Maps are one of the best-used resources that can be found online. Get up-to-the-minute travel updates, information on businesses (from opening hours to contact numbers), detailed directions and a host of other information. And thanks to a recent update, you can now access Google Maps without a data connection. Just download the map for the region you are visiting, and you’ll have all that information available offline (with the exception of satellite images and traffic reports).

The weather used to be a much simpler thing. Someone on the television would display a map of a country or region with half a dozen county-sized icons displaying sunshine, cloud or (worst of all) a mixture of both. And that was all you got for the day. Fortunately, things have changed dramatically since then. Now, not only can you get up-to-the-minute weather reports, you can help create them yourself. This is the work of Accuweather, which provides a huge amount of information, including humidity levels, visibility, wind speed and sunrise/sunset times. It even has a feature that cuts through the sterile facts and figures, cross-checks temperature and wind speeds to tell you what the weather feels like. All this, and the ability to tell someone that the rain will stop in the next two minutes, will make you feel more in control.

Back to Google for another of their excellent innovations. Google Translate will deal with all of your language issues, detecting languages automatically, two-way translated conversations and the ability to recognise pictograms that you draw with a finger. If you take a photo of a sign or notice that you can’t read, the app will superimpose the translated text over the top of it.

With over 20 million downloads, the XE Currency converter is a must-have tool for anyone abroad. See live rates for every currency on earth, and historic charts of currency movements so you can see how things have moved recently. You can calculate prices in real time and if you’re not online, it will store the latest dates until you are connected again. You can even check the prices of all precious metals around the world, just in case you want to pick up some platinum while you’re buying postcards.

If you’re using one of our prepaid international SIM cards (and why wouldn’t you?), the JT Travel App is the perfect companion. Access your phone records to see exactly what you’ve been spending and when, use the app to top-up your account and check your phone numbers. You can also find local weather details and a currency converter.

April 20, 2016

WHAT IS CALL BACK AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

If you’ve been researching which type of Telestial SIM you need for your vacation or travel plans, you may have seen reference to the phrase “call back”. This is not some vague promise to get back to you, but rather a clever bit of technology that helps you save even more money on your international calls.

Traditional calls are pretty simple – you dial the number, and the signal travels in one direction via your phone to the phone of the person you are calling. Since you are the person who started the call, you are the one who pays for it. But when you are in another country, the cost of these calls can start to get expensive. It’s much cheaper to receive a call, but then that leaves you with two problems: firstly, the person on the other end will be charged more for an international call, and secondly, they are probably not psychic and won’t know that you want to speak to them.

Call back makes it so that both of you are receiving the call. Here’s how it works: you dial the number as normal. Instead of giving you a ringing tone and connecting you straight away, your phone hangs up and calls you back. When you answer, you’ll hear the ringing tone just as if you’d made a regular call, and as soon as it is answered, your call can continue as normal.

It does take a little bit of getting used to. Because phones don’t traditionally work this way, our natural instinct is to hold the phone to our ear when we’ve dialed a number. It can be a bit of a shock (and a bit annoying) when your phone starts ringing while you’ve got it held to your ear, but any irritation is soothed right away when you realize that this is all in aid of saving you money.

April 14, 2016

TRAVELING TO THE USA? CHECK OUT OUR NEW USA SIM PLANS

With over 10 years in the international SIM card business, we at Telestial like to think we know a bit about what you want and how to give you it. We have the connections (both business and digital) to find you the best deals and the lowest rates when you’re traveling, and we have a much better feel for our customers’ requirements than some of these newer companies.

Travel to the USA is at an all-time high, with 191 million visitors to North America in 2015. That figure is set to be even higher for 2016. And whether they’re visiting family, working at a summer camp, coming for a sporting event or just to drive down Route 66, we know what our customers want. We know that calls and texts have taken a back seat to the need for mobile data, and that we’re using more of it than ever before. That’s why we’ve just announced an overhaul of our prepaid USA SIM card plans.

The new SIM is unlimited in just about every respect. Domestic talk and texts are unlimited, as is data (albeit at reduced speeds once your high-speed allocation is exhausted). We’ve made it cheaper and easier to call the folks back home, with international calls at 19c and texts at 9c to over 80 destinations worldwide. And we’ve created some bundles to suit your needs, and to give you a little extra power on your data connection when you need it. The plans break down as follows:

The Starter plan is for anyone looking to try the SIM on for size. As well as unlimited talk, texts and LTE data, you get $2.50 of free international credit and 250MB of high-speed 4G data. Because it’s a trial plan, the expiry terms are a bit shorter – two weeks – but the price is also much lower – just $29.

The Unlimited plan costs $49 and comes with $10 of international calling credit, and 1GB of high-speed data access. This is enough for most users, giving you the ability to access maps or websites if you need them on the go.

The Unlimited plan is for heavier data users, offering a huge 2GB of high-speed LTE data. The SIM comes with $10 of international credit and costs $79.

If you need for more international credit or high-speed LTE data, add-ons are available for purchase at any time. Usage can be tracked through our free Travel App.

All our SIMs are multi-fit, and will plug into any unlocked handset. Alternately, if you need a travel handset (perhaps a lower-spec phone with excellent battery life, or a no-frills smartphone), all Telestial’s phones are sold unlocked and have dual SIM slots – meaning that you can bring your domestic SIM card with you while you travel. For more details, please check out our USA SIM card page here.

March 10, 2016

FLY DIRECT TO CUBA – AND WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU GET THERE

On 21st March this year, President Barack Obama will be the first sitting president to visit the island of Cuba since 1928. This comes as part of a series of measures intended to ease the restrictions that have been placed on the island since the 1960s, including allowing American travelers to once again visit. With a number of restrictions already lifted, several airlines are already looking at potential direct flight routes to Cuba, so we thought we would take this opportunity to show you what this amazing place has to offer.

Cocktails and classic dishes

Cuba is famous for many exports, but close to the top of the list rum. A favorite of the Spanish court since the 16th Century, Cuban rum comes in a variety of forms. White rum is usually used as a mixer for cocktails, another of Cuba’s great gifts to the world. There is the Mojito, a refreshing infusion of sugar cane syrup, lime and mint leaves, the Cuba Libre (rum and cola) and the Daiquiri, which is named after a beach near Santiago de Cuba, the second-largest city.

Of course, it would be foolish indeed to consume such delights on an empty stomach. Fortunately, Cuban food (comida criolla) is just as exotic and vibrant as the drink, and you’ll find no shortage of tasty treats, from Arroz con Pollo (a hearty chicken and rice stew, similar to paella) to ropa vieja (shredded beef).

One of the many attractions of discovering a new place is the concept of eating like the locals, but in this regard, Cuba is a little different. There is still a vast gulf between the rich and poor, and tourists tend to have their own eating areas. This is partly due to the fact that Cuba has two distinct currencies, the CUC (Cuban Convertible Peso, which is traditionally used by tourists) and the CUP (the standard peso, which is used by locals). While most restaurants will take the CUC, many smaller, local places won’t have enough money to change the convertible pesos in order to make change. When you consider that the average monthly salary in Cuba is approximately US$10, people can be quick to take offense if you are not careful and this can cause difficulties.

Sway to the Salsa Beat

Music has always been the lifeblood of Cuba. Son Cubano (which translates as ‘Cuban rhythm’) is a mix of Spanish and Afro-Caribbean music that became incredibly popular during the 1930s and is the root from which many other musical forms have come. Both salsa and rumba are derived from this form, and are famous in their own right. But pop music as a musical art form without the artists that created it. Say, for example, that it was Great Britain in Cuba’s position. Just as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were coming to the height of their fame, imagine that the doors closed on them and no one was able to hear them play for over 40 years? Wouldn’t you want to know what had happened to them? Fortunately for the cause of Cuban music, someone did.

In the 1990s, American musician Ry Cooder visited Cuba, attempting to retrace the footsteps of some of the most famous musicians of the 1950s. He sought to find a particular club that had been famous during that time, but when locals were asked, they could not decide where the venue (long since closed down) had been located. Not to be dissuaded, Cooder continued his search, tracking down the singers and performers, many of whom were now at a very advanced age. What resulted was the Buena Vista Social Club (named for the place he had been seeking), which became a band, an album and eventually a film. Finally, the world was able to hear greats such as Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portuondo and Compay Segundo once more.

Now that travel restrictions have been lifted, the music is flowing both ways now. Just recently, EDM superstar Diplo and his band Major Lazer played in Havana to almost half a million people. It would not be surprising to see other major acts flocking to Cuba for concerts, or even festivals.

Cruising with the Classics

Havana in the 1950s was the luxury getaway location of choice for the American smart set. Socialites and movie stars such as Eva Gardner and Frank Sinatra rubbed shoulders with mafia bosses and partied until dawn at casinos, clubs and marinas. But then Fidel Castro came to power, and abruptly, the party was over (famed gangster Meyer Lansky is reputed to have said “I know a communist revolution when I see one” and fled the island the night before Castro took power). One of many changes that Castro made was a ban on the import of motor vehicles, a restriction that stayed in place for over 50 years. As with many communist countries, without access to factories and car parts, mechanics had to made do, relying on their own ingenuity to keep old vehicles running because there were no other options. But unlike the battered Trabants of communist Russia, the people of Cuba were working with an entirely different range of cars.

For the classic car enthusiast, walking the streets of Cuba is like taking a step back in time. Photographer Piotr Degler, who spent a month chronicling the many classic cars on the island, described it as ‘a Jurassic Park for cars’. Porsche, Mercedes, Daimler, Studebaker, Chevrolet… the list goes on and on, and every one a vintage classic. Many of them are held together with little more than love and some innovative repair-work, but this truly is a must-see for petrolheads.

Places to see and be seen

There are dozens of wonderful places to visit in Cuba, not least of which is Havana. It’s worth noting that not all of the city looks as it does in photos – there are a number of ugly, dilapidated buildings and areas that might lead to disappointment if you don’t properly manage your expectations. But other areas, such as Havana’s old town (Habana Vieja), are truly spectacular. And no visit to the city could be complete without a walk along the Malecón, the 7km stretch of aged concrete that runs the length of the city by the coast. By day, fishermen sit here and cast their lines. From dusk until late at night, it is a meeting place for locals of all ages to meet and mingle.

While restrictions regarding US travel are only now being relaxed, there have been no such issues for other countries. This is why a visit to the spectacular Varadero beach may seem more like a European resort than anything else. There are chains of hotels offering all-inclusive deals, pools and even a full-size golf course (the only one on the island). But the beach itself, a 20km stretch of white sand perfection, is well worth seeing. The nightlife here is considered better than in Cuba itself.

Cienfuegos is considered to be ‘the Paris of Cuba’, but that’s probably because it was mostly populated by French settlers. A key center for the sugar trade, the pastel shades of the town’s neoclassical architecture and the botanical gardens give the place a remarkable colonial feel that you won’t want to miss.

For anyone wanting to sample the opulence of Cuba’s distant past, then no trip to Cuba is complete without a visit to the open-air Cabaret Tropicana. Described in the 50’s as the biggest and best nightclub in the world, the cabaret continues to this day. Expect to see ridiculously ornate headdresses and quite a lot of flesh.

Staying connected

When it comes to staying connected, Cuba is a little different to the rest of the world. In many respects, the country’s telecoms infrastructure is stuck in the past just as much as their vehicles, although the thaw in relations with the USA has seen some progress. In the past, access to the internet was highly regulated and monitored, and only a very few individuals were able, or could afford, to go online. During the summer of 2015, the government added 35 new paid public WIFI access areas but with access costing $2 per hour (approximately one tenth of an average monthly wage), most Cubans cannot afford it. Home internet access has been forbidden to all but a few government officials, and while steps are being taken to change this, the prohibitively high cost of a home computer is stalling progress.

The picture is no less grim for international visitors. Because the Cuban phone network lags behind most of the rest of the world, it’s not possible to use the internet on many handsets. Some hotels have WIFI access, but do not expect this to work as well or as quickly as it would elsewhere. You should also not expect to have access to all sites, particularly social media, and VOIP services are entirely prohibited. Visitors can get their hands on a local SIM card, but these are rented, not sold, and will cost you CUC3 ($3) per day, as well as a deposit.

Using your domestic SIM to roam in Cuba is quite expensive, given such conditions. Only two of the big four US operators offer a service in Cuba at all, and the cheapest of these offer calls at $2.49 per minute. A Telestial Explorer SIM brings the price of this down to $1.69, which is only 9c more expensive than the local rate. As the remaining barriers to entry into Cuba fall in the coming months and years, we’ll be looking to lower our rates even further. Stay tuned for updates.

February 29, 2016

UNLOCKING THE POTENTIAL OF YOUR CELL PHONE

There is some confusion over whether you should unlock your phone, how this can be done, and even whether it’s legal or not. So we’ve put together a handy guide to make things as clear as possible.

The very first thing to point out is that there are two very different meanings to the phrase ‘phone unlocking’. The first is the kind that is currently in the news regarding Apple and the FBI, and is a legal and technical issue regarding security, privacy and encryption. Apple CEO Tim Cook’s response to the FBI on this issue explains why they are so reluctant to help the FBI out in this case. That is essentially all you need to know about that type of unlocking.

The other kind of phone unlocking is to do with SIM cards and carriers. As most smartphones are sold by a network operator, they are ‘locked’ so that you can only use SIM cards from that carrier. This is because the price of the phone is often subsidized by the carrier, and in order to make that money back, they want you to use that service for as long as possible. It is possible to have this lock removed so that your phone can use any SIM, on any network, in any country. Achieving this is sometimes a frustrating and confusing experience.

Nevertheless, it is a legal requirement for US operators to allow customers to unlock their handsets, and while there is sometimes a waiting period or charge for this, they must make their unlock procedures clear on their websites. You can find a recap of what phone unlocking is, why it’s useful and some links to websites here.

February 9, 2016

APPSY-DAISY

There has been a lot of talk about apps in recent weeks. A study of 2015’s app habits, for example, revealed a highly competitive and disposable marketplace for app developers, with users spending almost all of their phone-time using these programs. By all accounts, people are spending more time with them than they do watching TV. And as the results from last year’s Superbowl show, we use them while we’re watching TV too.

With the lifespan of the average app lasting about a month (if they’re lucky), there has been increased focus on the apps that you can’t get rid of. For example, iPhones come with no less than 32 ‘native apps’ that, until recently, you were stuck with for life. However, Apple has recently released a way of removing them should you wish to – though be aware, the process is quite complex.

Meanwhile, there is only one true king in terms of app usage – Facebook. With the app itself taking the number one spot and its dedicated messaging app in second place, Facebook is the undisputed master of the app world. However, while its certainly the app that most people are using, it’s far from perfect, as recently discovered by blogger Russell Holly. It turns out that uninstalling the app not only makes almost all the other apps on your phone run faster, but it saves you up to 20% of your battery life on Android handsets, and 15% on iPhones. These are huge figures, and the fact that a single app can be responsible for such variation is currently being investigated further. Certainly, it’s something you should keep in mind when traveling.

January 11, 2016

All the ways we saved you money in 2016

Happy New Year from all of us at Telestial!

It’s been another great year, and we hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have. As always, we’ve been working hard to ensure you get the best deals and the lowest possible roaming rates. During the last year, our team has been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to make sure we pass on these savings to our customers. We’ve lowered rates for calls and texts, cut the price of mobile data and added new territories to our roaming plans in an amazing 57 territories worldwide. We have concentrated on adding popular travel destinations in the Caribbean and South America in the last year, but whenever an opportunity arises to lower rates in countries we already cover, we take it.

We’ll be doing the same for 2016 (in fact, our amazing team has already started), but for now, here’s the list of newly added or improved territories:

With the amount we use our smartphones and their associated bandwidth, manufacturers are racing to make more efficient systems and innovations. In the coming months and years, there are a number of very interesting developments in the field of smartphone technology.

The first of these to appear will be new chipsets from both Apple and Android manufacturers. These new devices will have features such as improved processing power, 4K graphics, surround sound, better battery life and faster, more efficient WIFI. With these chipsets appearing in phones from next year, high-end smartphones will be even more powerful, and ready to take the next step in personal entertainment – VR.

Virtual Reality has been around for many years but had, until recently, been subject to the limitations of other technologies. Now, however, all the big players are experimenting with VR headsets, from Facebook’s high-end Oculus Rift to Google’s low-fi offering, named (and made out of) Cardboard. Most of these aim to be powered by smartphones, adding a new dimension to gaming, videos and many other applications. There are even applications for virtual tourism, a sort of ‘try before you buy’ for travel. Simply put on a headset and in moments, you can be walking around Abbey Road Studios in London.

If we’re going to be using our phones for these new technologies, then it’s not just the processors that require an upgrade. Short battery life is a major issue for these power-hungry applications, and new innovations can suffer if they haven’t tackled this problem (such as the Apple Watch, for example). Change is coming, whether it is ways of extending the life and capacity of current battery models, new types of battery that charge faster or new technology that uses less power and therefore extend battery life up to a week.

We also need to tackle the issue of bandwidth. With LTE and WIFI being clogged by the vast amounts of streaming video that we consume, innovators have been looking at ways to make this more efficient as well. A new technology known as LI-FI has been tested this month, using light. The speed and capacity of this has been recorded as being a staggering 100 times faster than current WIFI.

Whether we use these new advances on smartphones or not remains a mystery. The wearables market is increasing and evolving just as much as the phone market, and while there are some ideas that fall behind (such as Google’s Glass and their Star Trek-inspired communicator), it’s clear that people are already thinking of smartphones as being too bulky and old-fashioned. Who knows, in the future, we might not need a device at all – we could simply wear the technology on our skin.

November 15, 2015

Making it easier to keep in touch with your family and friends whilst in France
Following the events that have taken place in Paris, we want to help you stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues. With this in mind, the following changes to the European SIM Card are to take immediate effect for the next two weeks:
- Receive free incoming calls in France
- Call home from France at the cost of a local call
To access call rates, view the Rate Finder.
As always, incoming calls are free with your International SIM Card.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragic events in Paris.

November 11, 2015

GOOGLE MAPS NOW AVAILABLE OFFLINE

Google, our online overlords and rulers of the Interwebs, have updated Google Maps in an entirely wonderful way – it’s now all available offline. This means that searching for specific destinations and getting turn-by-turn directions can now be done without an internet connection. This is fantastic news for roaming travelers, but you’ll need to remember to download the information for the region you are visiting before you travel. Once that’s done, however, you are good to go. The only information that won’t be available are real-time traffic updates and user-added photos – but these can be added seamlessly to the map as soon as you go online again.

The updated version of Google Maps is now available for Android handsets (such as the Smart range of unlocked handsets that Telestial provides), and will be coming to iOS soon.

Take the latest trend in holiday activities, for example, extreme phone-pinching. Not to be mistaken for phone theft, phone-pinching is a two-player activity that involves one participant filming while another holds their smartphone between finger and thumb. The smartphone is then dangled over something that you really shouldn’t dangle your phone over, such as a great height, river or sewer grate. Naturally, as this video demonstrates, things sometimes go a bit wrong.

Taking risks without reward is fun enough, but risks with reward? So much better. That’s where a new app called ‘Send Me To Heaven’ comes in – or at least, it would if Apple hadn’t just pulled it from their store. The idea is very simple: reach the top of the leaderboard by throwing your phone as high into the air as you can. You can catch it on the way down of course, if you’re boring. Surely it’s far more fun to see several hundred dollars of cutting-edge technology shatter all over the floor. Also in development is an app inspiringly entitled ‘Send Me To Hell’, whereby you win by dropping your phone the furthest. Oh goody.

The pinnacle of any challenge is to become so good at it that you turn professional. We’re not sure whether there are any professional phone-destroyers, but there’s certainly a few world champion phone-throwers. That’s because mobile phone throwing has become a sport in Finland (the country that also gave us the wife-carrying event). There does not seem to be anything happening next year unfortunately, but you can use that time to practice because registration is open for the March 2017 event.

The FCC has this week slapped Hilton Hotels with a fine for blocking their customers from using their own WIFI hotspots. While this is a very welcome development, perhaps the bigger crime is that Hilton were charging $500 for the use of their own network. The fine is relatively small, only $25,000 (which means that if they can con another 50 customers into paying for their WIFI, they’ll have paid it back), but Hilton are not helping their own case. This fine is in part due to the fact that the FCC requested information from Hilton about their practices almost a year ago, and have still had no response. If this continues, so will the fines.

About the only thing Hilton Hotels have going for them in this case is that their WIFI is generally regarded as very good. In a recent New York Times article, it was revealed that the New York Hilton Midtown had the best and most reliable connection according to hotelwifitest.com. This is a very useful site for travelers looking to do some homework on the availability of WIFI in the country they are headed to.

Meanwhile, the FCC are to be applauded for continuing to monitor the occasionally sketchy behavior of some hotel chains. Marriot were fined $600,000 in 2014 for similar practices, and their attempts to lobby the FCC for the right to block customers’ hotspots have failed so utterly that they have given up trying.

WIFI hotspots are a very useful resource, for travelers and domestic users alike. The ability to share a signal with several devices means that you don’t have to take turns using the web. For more information on how to get hold of a WIFI hotspot, take a look here.

October 23, 2015

How Phones, Apps and Religion Come Together

There’s almost nothing that a smartphone can’t make more of in our connected world, and it seems that religion is no exception. A study by AT&T shows that increasingly, people are turning to technology either to connect with people in their local or religious community, or to provide spiritual comfort or encouragement. While it is still frowned upon by some, 20% of people say that they have used their smartphone in church (though be sure to follow the correct etiquette). Whether this is to read along with holy texts as part of the service, or tweeting poignant comments from the pastor, social media is by far the most important way for people to connect with their religion.

Nowhere was this more apparent than during Pope Francis’s recent visit to the USA, with smartphones providing an easy way to follow and interact with the pontiff on his tour. The Pope himself is no stranger to social media – Pope Francis has no less than nine Twitter accounts, all in different languages, with over 20 million followers. Twitter even gave him his own emoji. But it’s not just His Holiness that inspires people to reach for their smartphone. Almost all aspects of Catholicism are represented in the digital age. For example, the Bible App has been installed on very nearly 200 million devices worldwide – the same sort of numbers that tech powerhouses such as Facebook and Instagram command.

It’s not just the Christian world that is making the most of the smartphone revolution. Muslims around the world are taking advantage of technology to make their lives easier and to connect with their religion. There are apps to help tourists find halal food, Islamic dating apps, guides for religious observance during Ramadan and even a compass that points toward Mecca. Some aspects of the Jewish faith are more restrictive when it comes to technology, but that does not stop people from making their own brand of smartphone, nor connecting and coming together via social media for global events.

We reported last month that Apple’s new WIFI Assist feature might be causing people to spend more than they were expecting on their mobile data bill – and warned that it could potentially get very expensive indeed if you were using it abroad. However, in the wake of a small outcry about this, Apple have released a clarification, stating that WIFI Assist will not activate if you are roaming. The press release goes on to state that certain apps, especially those that use large amounts of data, will not cause the feature to activate. This is great news for roaming travelers, who now have one less thing to worry about.

October 14, 2015

Data Usage = Unhappy Networks

If you’re a mobile phone user in the US, the chances are you’ve come across the term ‘data cap’ over the last few months, even if you’re on an unlimited plan. The good news is that you’re not the only ones – mobile operators and consumers all over the world are coming to terms that there has to be a limit.
We are using more mobile data than ever before. In the US, users are getting through 2.5GB per month on average, just fractionally ahead of the rest of the western world. It’s worth noting that this is purely mobile data – when you factor in WIFI, the figures jump to between 7GB and 9GB per month. But even these figures are set to rise dramatically, with some experts expecting this to reach 11GB by 2019. This puts an incredible strain on the networks, slowing things down for everyone. The same amount of data that accounted for an entire year in 2007 is now being used in under 75 hours in 2015.

There are two major factors for why this is becoming a problem. First of all, while most major cities are well-connected, there are vast rural areas of the USA without a fast broadband connection. Laying fiber-optic cable to service these regions is an expensive undertaking – one farmer in Nebraska was quoted a price of $383,000 for 36 months of broadband fiber internet. Users found that they could achieve the same result just by tethering a smartphone on an unlimited data plan and using it as a WIFI hotspot. This caused problems for the smaller operators such as Sprint and T-Mobile because they don’t have national coverage like the bigger carriers, and have to rent space on their networks. With customers using far more data than anyone expected, the associated cost to the network was much higher, leading John Legere, the CEO of T-Mobile, to brand some of his customers ‘data thieves’.

The other major factor are streaming sites such as Netflix. With 40 million users in the US alone, watching an average of 10 billion hours of video per month, it’s no wonder that our data consumption has sky-rocketed. Netflix is far from the only service of this kind – there is also HBO Now, Hulu and others. It is a dilemma for mobile companies, who know that their bandwidth is going to be affected by this, but who realize that this is what customers really, really want. It is said that in order to convince these companies to come on board their iPhones and iPads, Apple reduced the cut that they normally receive from App Store purchases from 30% to 15%. If Apple are offering a price cut, then you know it’s serious.

The problem for mobile operators is that they have a large number of users still on ‘unlimited’ data plans. These plans were created long before anyone realized just how much mobile data we were going to be using in the future, and had they known this, operators would never have created them. Only two operators still offer them, T-Mobile and Sprint. Unfortunately for the operators, many consumers still have these plans and the ‘unlimited’ nature of them is protected by law, as AT&T recently discovered when the FCC fined them $100 million. The only option for operators is to keep them running, and either make them as unlimited as they can (as in the case of AT&T who have increased the amount of data their unlimited users can use before their supply is ‘managed’), or by trying to price their unlimited users out of the market (in the case of Verizon, who have raised the cost of their plans by $20 per month).

Using these sort of streaming services abroad can be expensive, assuming that you can get them where you are. While Netflix is launching services across Europe as it continues its domination of the world (it already accounts for 20% of UK and Irish total web traffic), it’s not guaranteed that the show you want to watch is available in that country. However, geo-blocking is something that the European Union is looking at, and as well as abolishing roaming charges in EU Member States, they plan to create a single digital market that will allow users to watch what they want no matter where they are.

October 9, 2015

Google’s plan to combat ad-blockers and save the web

With the news that ad-blockers were being deployed on Apple’s browsers and by other telecoms operators across their entire network, it seemed possible that the entire landscape of the world wide web was in heading for some seismic changes. The method by which the vast majority of websites were funded (namely, advertising) was in danger, and the entity at greatest risk from this was Google itself. But Google didn’t become the vast company they are today by being stupid or falling asleep at the wheel, and this week they announced steps to safeguard their investment (and a great many websites as well).

The problem, as has been outlined on this blog before, was a question of page-bloat. The New York Times ran a series of experiments on 50 of the web’s top news sites to see how much of any given page was content, and how much was advertising. More than half the data received from these pages was in the form of advertising, and with more than half of all search queries being carried out on mobile, this was adding strain to both mobile networks and users’ mobile data budgets. Pages were slow to load, and people were beginning to turn to mobile apps, which were both faster and cheaper. Something needed to be done, and if that something was detrimental to Google’s profits, then so much the better for their competitors.

This week, Google have announced a new project, AMP, or Accelerated Mobile Pages. The idea is to change the structure of web pages so that they are optimized for mobile viewing. It’s sort of like having someone make you a house. Currently, you have to wait until absolutely everything is done before you can move in: building work, decorating, furnishings – even stocking the refrigerator with groceries. Only once all these things are done will the door open. With AMP, the theory is that you’ll be able to move straight in once the walls are up and the roof is on. Everything else is added around you. However, the important question, at least from Telestial’s perspective, is not a question of whether (to continue the analogy) you can move into your house quicker, it’s whether it costs the same.

It’s not entirely clear yet how AMP will impact on the size of web pages, though it does seem that there will be some significant slimming down. Much of the code that third-party publishers use (ie not Google) will not be allowed, and you may find that pages themselves aren’t as interactive as they used to be. Google themselves say that their mission is to only allow adverts that “don’t detract from the user experience”. Whether the data cost of a bloated page figures into their definition of user experience or not is unknown, but it’s a great start that companies as influential and huge as Google are acknowledging that the mobile web is now their biggest market. It also means that the sites we all use on a regular basis probably won’t need to change too much to survive. We will keep you posted on the latest developments as the project gets closer to launch, some time next year.

September 29, 2015

Apple’s WIFI Assist could cost you money

Hot off the back of the launch of their latest iPhone, Apple have released a new operating system, iOS 9. Among the new features are updates to the Maps App (featuring public transport information for a select few cities) and a very welcome ‘low power mode’, which will disable some features to lengthen the life of your battery. However, there’s one new feature that you will want to disable almost immediately – WIFI Assist.

In principle, WIFI Assist seems like a good idea. Previously, if you found yourself in an area where the WIFI signal was a bit patchy in places, web pages would fail to load and would get stuck until you closed the page down and tried again. WIFI Assist is an attempt to fix this problem, by turning on your cellular data connection when it detects that the WIFI is struggling. However, initial trials have shown that it determines that you need a great deal of assistance. Even people using their home WIFI have found that, at the end of the month, the amount they have spent on mobile data has risen dramatically, up to a third more than usual. Irritating when in your home country – potentially ruinous if you are abroad.

Perhaps the least helpful part of this new feature is that it is enabled as standard the moment you download the update, without telling you that it has done so. Fortunately, it is quite easy to disable: go to SETTINGS > CELLULAR and scroll to the bottom of the page, where you’ll find a slider for WIFI Assist. Simply turn this off, and your phone will behave like it used to.

August 28, 2015

SMARTPHONE ETTIQUETTE

The Pew Research Center released an exhaustive study this week of US smartphone user habits, with a particular emphasis on etiquette. The findings are interesting, particularly when compared to a similar study from two years ago. Comparing the two, it’s clear to see what the trends are, and how things that we have previously found unacceptable are now creeping their way toward legitimacy.

For example, the amount of people who feel that using your phone while waiting in line is rude has fallen by approximately 15% in the last two years. This is broadly the same with people using their phone in a meeting or during dinner. Using your phone while walking the street, on public transport or while driving a car has also become more acceptable (though the Mythbusters have recently provided evidence that talking while driving, no matter how you do it, is really unsafe).

There are a few areas where we have become more intolerant. Using your phone in church, for example, has become a huge no-no. Of those asked, 95% agreed that it should not be done, which is another 15% rise on two years ago. Using your phone at the movie theater has also become less acceptable – though it’s not quite as bad as using your phone at the stage theatre, an issue raised by Benedict Cumberbatch in London recently.

This study was carried out in the USA and only reflects US habits, and travelers might find that what is acceptable in one country is frowned upon in another – and vice versa. An experienced traveler (such as one who has taken advantage of Telestial’s excellent rates) will take the time to check these unspoken rules in the countries they are visiting, so as to avoid embarrassment or discomfort.

August 25, 2015

Increased competition for smartphone makers shrinks the market

There are an awful lot of smartphones out there. As well as numerous handset manufacturers, there are dozens of different operating systems too. But in terms of market share and popularity, there are two names that keep coming up, over and over again: Apple and Android. The key differences between these two brands are to do with exclusivity and usability, and it is this which is responsible for both their huge success, and the problems that they are to face in the near future.

Apple have become the world’s largest brand in recent years, due to the extraordinary success of the iPhone. Despite only controlling 20% of the smartphone market, Apple reaps an extraordinary 92% of the profits. This is partially because Apple control almost everything about their own products. They make their own phones, which run on their own operating system, and they jealously guard their innovations. For Apple, this is very much a closed system that begins and ends with them. Their focus on stylish design and interesting new features are part of the reason why they are able to charge higher prices for their products and still succeed (despite the occasional embarrassing misstep). It is for this reason that there have been only 10 iterations of the iPhone (with another two due to be announced next month).

Android, on the other hand, is happy to share itself with other phone makers. First released by Google in 2008, the Android operating system has surpassed Windows, Blackberry and others to become Apple’s only true competition in the market. It is not, however, restricted to one single handset manufacturer, and therein, as the Bard would tell you, lies the rub. You can buy, at present, well over a thousand different types of Android handset, from manufacturers such as Lenovo, Motorola, Sony and Google itself. Telestial’s own smartphone handsets run on the Android system.

While this proliferation may seem like a good thing for competiton on the surface, it is starting to become apparent that this highly fragmented market will cause problems in the future. Take HTC, for example. Voted ‘Device Manufacturer of the Year’ in 2011, HTC used to occupy third place behind Apple and Samsung in terms of market share. Just four years later, HTC’s stock is basically worthless, because they failed to innovate sufficiently in this incredibly fast-moving market.

This is a problem for consumers, for if you’ve bought a mid-range or specialist Android handset from a small manufacturer who gets into financial difficulty; there may suddenly be no one available to help if you run into a technical problem. There is an additional problem, one that has been illustrated by the recent upheaval on the global stock markets – not only is China currently the world’s biggest smartphone market, it is also where all but a few manufacturers make their phones (though some are moving into India). If the Chinese economy gets into further trouble, as seems likely, not only will the Chinese consumer appetite for smartphones wane, but it could also cause problems for the makers as wages for factory workers may rise and the cheap resources that made China the place to have these things built become more expensive. If life wasn’t already hard enough for a small smartphone manufacturer, it’s about to get a good deal worse.